District 57 board hopefuls outlines goals and abilities

Mount Prospect District 57 school board candidates sparred over why voters should pick them over others at a candidates' forum held last weekend at village hall.

Board contenders touted work experience and district goals to the crowd, many of whom will be selecting what will amount to a new board.

Voters must pick four school board members from five candidates: incumbent Joann Harms and four people not currently on the board: Michael Berry, Sann Knipple, Martin Malone and Karen Nedjl.

Malone, who is in pharmaceutical sales, said he and his family are entrenched in the district. He's a resident of Mount Prospect and a father of three kids, all who attend district schools. His wife is a substitute teacher at the district. And he was on the district's facilities review committee.

For Malone, it's his second crack at becoming a school board member.

"Since the last election, I've been to 85 to 95 percent of the school board meetings to try to get a better grasp of what's going on the in district - asking those questions to school board members and making comments to try to learn more."

Nedjl said she'd been an active parent in District 57 for the past eight years, serving on several district and school-based committees. She works as a nurse and has experience in the field of management and research. She said she has a bachelor's in nursing and a master's in public administration.

"My profession has afforded me the skills of careful listening and affective communication, Nedjl said. "District 57 is a wonderful place to learn, my three children benefit from it every day. And so did I as a former student of Sunset, Westbrook and Lincoln Junior High."

Knipple, who has worked as a chemical engineer in refineries overseas, said with a new superintendent and assistant superintendent coming next year, it was critical for the board to work together. Her focus was on the need to build rapport with the board and other members of the community and to maintain fiscal responsibility.

"I decided to step forward and serve my community because I really seek to elevate the focus of the board to setting vision so all of our children can succeed to the best of their abilities."

Harms said that the district's overall test scores have improved every year since shes' been on the board. She said she has two kids who are in the district too. She said that being an attorney benefits the board. If elected again, she said she'd follow three core principles.

"First, school districts should act in the best interest of the children and the district while representing the community's interest. Second, school districts should be fiscally responsible. - Third, elementary school districts should provide a safe, supportive nurturing environment."

Berry, a researcher and manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, couldn't be at the forum, but had a statement read. He cited his experience on the District 57 foundation board. This year, he was chairman.

He said he's lived in Mount Prospect since 1991 and has had kids going to District 57 schools for the past 10 years. He said he'd be careful with taxpayer dollars as the board strives to take the district from very good to excellent.

Three current board members - Sue Ramstedt, Ann Hull and Greg Kurr - decided not to seek re-election, leaving room for at least three new members on the seven-member board.